A 3-minute lesson from the Arkansas course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.
When a crash looks likely, many drivers freeze or do something that doesn't help. You have three options: stop, turn, or speed up. How you brake and steer depends on whether your car has antilock brakes (ABS).
In most cases you can turn quicker than you can stop, so consider turning to avoid a collision. Grip the wheel with both hands at 10 and 2 o'clock, and be ready to keep control after swerving.
With ABS you can steer while braking without skidding. Without ABS, brake, then let up and turn the wheel; don't lock the front wheels or turn so sharply the car just plows ahead.
Your rear end slides right on a wet curve. Take your foot off the brake and steer where you want the car to go. As it straightens, turn the wheel back so the car doesn't swing the other way.
Check your understanding
Read the question, decide on an answer, then open it to check the explanation. These are Roadwise study questions based on the source handbook.
When trying to avoid a collision, what three options does the handbook describe?
Brake, honk, and swerve
Stop, reverse, or flash lights
Brake, signal, and coast
Stop, turn, or speed up
Answer: Stop, turn, or speed up
In avoiding a collision, drivers have three options: stop, turn, or speed up.
